GOP fights obama suit against anti-illegal legislation in AZ

[justashooter 430]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/39847.html

As Arizona’s controversial immigration law enters the courtroom, Capitol Hill Republicans are trying to intervene in the legal brawl.

This week, Sens. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and David Vitter of Louisiana introduced legislation that would block the Obama administration from suing Arizona over its new law to crack down on illegal immigration. Sen. John McCain of Arizona donated $5,000 to a legal defense fund to fight challenges to the law.

And the GOP-dominated House Immigration Reform Caucus will file a friend of the court brief early next week, backing Republican Gov. Jan Brewer as she seeks to defend the law from a Justice Department lawsuit.

“Instead of spending time and taxpayer resources on a lawsuit, the Obama administration should be securing the border,” said Wesley Denton, a spokesman for DeMint. “The president and his administration are trying to invalidate a law that simply enforces federal law.”

Both parties are accusing the other of playing politics with the immigration issue and the Arizona law.

"It’s political opportunism,” Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said of Republicans. His district runs along the U.S.-Mexico border and he has called for economic boycotts of the state until the law is overturned. “It’s a very divisive issue not only in Arizona but obviously in other parts of the country. Showing support for [Arizon’s law] is supposed to show hardness on immigration, but it’s appropriate that they wait and see whether this law passes constitutional muster.”

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), another outspoken foe of the Arizona law, shared that view, saying GOP legislative and legal tactics have trampled on democracy and the separation of powers. He urged Republicans to let the Justice Department lawsuit, one of seven challenging the constitutionality of the law, to play out in the courts.

“The founding fathers set up three equal branches of government. Why does one branch want to shut down the other? I don’t get it,” Gutierrez told POLITICO Thursday. “Clearly [it’s a trampling] of democracy, of freedom of speech, of our day in court, of that simple notion that you will always have your day in court.

“We should let the Justice Department and everybody have their day in court,” he added.

In Phoenix, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton heard oral arguments Thursday in one of the seven lawsuits, but didn’t rule whether to dismiss the suit or block the law from taking effect July 29.

She will hear arguments in other cases next week, including the one brought by the Obama administration which asserts the Arizona law should be struck down because it usurps federal authority to enforce immigration laws.

The law makes it a state crime to be in the country illegally, and requires police officers to check the immigration status of individuals they suspect are illegal immigrants.

continues in link

http://www.steinreport.com/archives/013052.html

in contrast, a list of all representatives (democrats) who support the latest amnesty bill. a veritable and verifiable wall of shame.

[Pooky 3,876]

I think a better way to ensure that the DoJ challenge is met fairly is to let Arizona defend the action with public money. The DoJ pursuit of the challenge is funded by the public purse, yet the State of Arizona is raising private funds to defend itself. Strikes me as an imbalance.

If this isn't possible, then I'm for the DeMint/Vitter amendment.